Let's Play Music programs have unlocked the power of Solfege for children and given them rich musicality.  Musical U, founded by Christopher Sutton, has done the same for adult music learners with courses that open up a world of musical skill.  The 'trifecta', as he calls them, are instrumental skill, theory knowledge, and ear training and all are accessible and learnable.  Listen in as Christopher discusses his own frustrating journey as a music learner and how discovering Solfege unlocked his own musicality.  Discover him at Musical U. 

Today's guest, Marsali Hancock is a nonprofit executive, with twenty years of experience working with leading national and international policy leaders, top-ranked Fortune 100 companies like Google, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Target, Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, and Dell, along with highly respected organizations, maximizing technology to improve the quality of life, education, and economic opportunities. Recognized for her online safety initiatives, Ms. Hancock is dedicated to creating safe and healthy digital learning environments.

She mentions one foundation in which she works, Save Somebuddy, as a resource that uses music for treating emotional trauma. 

We are amazed at the expert perspective Marsali offers to the Let's Play Music families and teachers. 

We all know someone (or maybe it's you?) who 'can't carry a tune in a bucket', right? In this episode, our guest is Topher Keene, Grammy quarterfinalist, conductor, educator, mentor and - you guessed it - singing coach.  Topher shares with us the mechanics behind singing in tune, then shares with us how to teach someone to sing in tune.  Parents of infants and young children will love what he has to say about early exposure. Older children and adults who haven't yet learned to sing in tune will love what he has to say about them too!  

Have questions for Topher, or want singing coaching? Contact directly at [email protected] 

For a deeper dive into this topic, enjoy these YouTube videos:

Making things fun is our business.  We have it down to a science.  Join Jenny Smith and Shelle Soelberg as we discuss 3 simple things - the A-B-C - of making piano practice fun at home! If you've ever heard your child say "I don't want to practice!" this episode is for you. 

Everyone wonders, there are many opinions, there is much experience. The dilemma is, children are ripe for music instruction many years earlier than they are ready for piano lessons. Delaying music lessons will waste much of the 'music learning window' which research has shown is ages 0-9.  So, what do we do?  Let's Play Music solves the piano playing dilemma by teaching music and piano in age-appropriate methods. Listen in as Julie Fischbeck discusses this dilemma amid her experiences as a piano student, piano teacher, professional pianist, and Let's Play Music teacher. 

Here's what you can expect from us!

Shelle and her daughter, Sydney, discuss how it all began!  How a young mother of five started a music program that has grown to a million dollar business, with 450 teachers and 11,000 students nationwide. It may surprise you that it didn't start with that end in mind - at all.